


As We Slow Dance

by Hawkogirl



Series: Jade Dagger AU [1]
Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Flirting, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Talk of assassination, slight mention of homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 22:08:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20089555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkogirl/pseuds/Hawkogirl
Summary: Jeff Fabre, the heir to the throne in his kingdom, meets a handsome man at a masquerade ball, who might be there with ulterior motives.





	As We Slow Dance

**Author's Note:**

> The first part of my Au that I have lovingly named Jade Dagger Au.

Jeff had gotten bored of events like these.

It was honestly all the same thing. No matter the theme, masquerade, like this, or anything else. Whatever band who was hired would be playing the same songs he’d heard hundreds of times since he was a kid. He would have to smile and act polite to all the monarchs when he’d really rather tell them there was a reason their citizens hated them. The fancy rooms with high, detailed ceilings and intricate designs on the walls had lost their thrill years ago, and he could only hope there was someone interesting to dance with. 

The search for someone like that was active. He’d met most people, and he could only hope there was a knight undercover who he could talk to or some sort of younger monarch or diplomat from an ally kingdom.

He wasn’t that lucky often. 

But tonight, it seemed that the world was on his side. The person like that came to him.

And god damn, he looked great.

“Hey.” The man slid closer to Jeff and his spot in the corner, attempting to catch his breath several feet away from the crowd.

“Hi,” He squeaked. Fuck, it was probably obvious that he found this man ridiculously attractive. His face burned. “Uh-sorry-it’s just-well-you look great.”

He chuckled and looked down at himself, a fancy-looking crimson suit that looked like it was made of something silky and fit him almost too well and black bowtie, before adjusting his mask. “No better than you do.”

Jeff laughed too loudly. “Thanks! I like looking at your face.” 10/10 flirting, Fabre. “Uh-! Oh, that was a stupid thing to say.”

“It’s cute. It’s cute how flustered you are, your majesty.” 

His face reddened further. “You know who I am?” Fuck. Shit.

“Yeah, I know who you are. They never mentioned you being so cute.” The man smiled, leaning against the wall, and trailed his hand down Jeff’s arm, making him shiver, until Jeff’s hand rested in his. “This okay?”

Jeff nodded quickly. “Uh, what’s your name?”

“Luke.”

“Oh. That’s a nice name.” He smiled, a rush of courage shooting into him. “Do you want to dance with me?”

With Luke’s nod, he felt a hand rest on the small of his back, pulling him closer until he rested a hand on the taller’s shoulder. The song was slow, and soon Jeff was being torn between his equally powerful urges to rest his forehead on Luke’s silk-clad shoulder and staring into his blue eyes.

Luke chuckled softly, tilted his head forward and pressing his soft lips to Jeff’s forehead. Jeff’s heart leapt in his chest and his blood rushed to his cheeks.

He glanced up and noticed Luke’s warm smile and eyes trained on his blush. Smushing his face into his dance partner’s shoulder it was, then. 

Luke began rubbing small circles into his back, making him relax until he managed to get himself together and spend the final seconds of the song staring into those blue eyes.

They never got to go back to their corner-Jeff didn’t know what they were going to do, but he liked the idea of cuddling on the floor, because he liked this guy in the thirty minutes he’d known him, and would like to flip off this high class event and sit on his lap on the nearest convenient surface-due to the snobby royal who pulled Jeff aside to brag about absolutely nothing and probably throw in some comment on how Jeff shouldn’t have been dancing with another man. Luke flashed him a smile and mouthed, “I’ll see you soon.” before vanishing into the crowd.

  
  
  


A pair of dress shoes clicked against the floor as a well-dressed thief made his way around the castle.

Too bad, Luke mused to himself, that Jeff was the prince. Maybe Luke would have been able to talk him into running away with his band of thieves if he were anyone else. That seemed nice. He shook his head. No, it would never happen. At least he could look forward to a decent king.

He tried a door. Huh, now which royal left their bedroom door open? He wasn’t even going to need his tools for this. There was literally a jewelry case filled with miscellaneous jewelry still of high value in front of him, able to fit into his satchel. 

He slid the case into his bag and listened. There were voices. In the next room over. Luke slid a hand into his hidden pocket, gripping the handle of the stiletto knife, pressing an ear to the wall. 

“It can’t be a traditional assassination! We would be sure to get caught. Somehow, the king still wants him to be king, and if we want one with the best interests of the monarchs at heart, we cannot get ourselves executed.” A low, rough voice said. 

“So we stage an accident or find a way to blame the peasants. It would be easier to get Jimmy or Ian on our side if they naturally antagonize them from that.” A smoother voice explained calmly.

Oh. He was overhearing an assassination plan. Against the prince who he’d been dancing with, who genuinely had the people’s best interest at heart, and all the rich people didn’t like that. 

His mind began moving at a mile a minute. The royalty needed protection, but people in huge hunks of metal ruined the aesthetic, apparently, so they gave knights tuxedos and knives and daggers they didn’t know how to use, and hoped everything would go well. Luke had been fed enough info from the inside to know how to imitate one of those knights, and his horse was hidden near the castle. He and his thieves had morals, they stole to keep everyone from starving, and Luke thought it was a good choice to keep the one royal with morals from being killed. 

Hopefully, Mai wouldn’t mind if he showed up with the prince in tow. 

He returned to the dance floor, seeking out the prince. 

Jeff was back in his corner, and he grinned and blushed, Luke returning the smile. The thief would like to claim that he had been faking all the flirting earlier, but really, the man was just adorable. 

Jeff offered his hands and Luke pulled him to his feet. Hands still clasped in his, Luke leaned forward. “The wine needs to be refilled.” Code, he knew, for  _ Danger, you need to be removed from here now.  _

Jeff’s eyes were wide. “How long?”

“A while. A long while.”

He ran his thumbs over Jeff’s trembling hands in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. “Okay. Let’s go.” Jeff was having immense difficulty keeping his voice steady.

One of Jeff’s hands was still clasped in his as they made their way towards the entrance of the castle. As soon as their feet touched the cobblestone path, Luke pulled him into the grass and towards where he knew his horse was waiting. 

Before he knew it, the two were riding into the night. 

He had almost made it to the forest before he heard the clattering of two more sets of horse hooves behind him. He took a look backward. Two knights. He could only hope that Mai and her archers were waiting for him. Or… He traced the outline of the stilletto knife in his pocket and elected to stop his horse. He got off and grabbed the hidden weapon. 

“Halt!” Boomed a voice. “You have been reported as having kidnapped the oldest son of the king, the current heir of the throne.” That voice was too similar to the first one he’d heard earlier. 

“Yeah, what about it? I'm not the one plotting his assassination.”

The knight who’d spoken fell silent, and the other turned and gave him a strange look. 

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“That is the stutter of  _ lies.” _

Jeff spoke suddenly. “I know them. You’re the one who lied to me.”

Luke groaned. “Well, it seems that we are doing this the hard way.” 

He made a quick move, sliding under the swing of a sword and making a quick swing upwards, unsheathing his knife and embedding it in the gap between armor plates and the flesh of the guy’s leg before pulling it out and turning, only to find an arrow embedded in the eye of the man who he was almost certain had been one of the ones plotting the assassination.

Thank you, Sasaki. 

As if his thought prompted it, the woman strode out of the forest, bow in hand, long red hair in a braid. “What the hell did you do?”

“In my defense, he was going to be assassinated. I do not go around kidnapping monarchs for no reason.”

Mai groaned. 

“Can someone please explain what’s going on?” Whimpered Jeff from the back of the horse. Mai’s expression softened, and Luke was sure his did too.

Mai´s voice successfully held it’s roughness. “Austin, yes, I know you’re here, wanna be a friend and grab Mr. Royal over here?”

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream at me about this au on tumblr. Please. I am so lonely- saltier-than-a-pbg-in-the-ocean.tumblr.com  
Leave comments and kudos please they make my day


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